Eraser holder for typewriters



Feb. 1, 1938. c. G. HURRLE ERASER HOLDER FOR TYP-EWRITERS Filed May 17, 1937 m N N "W M %4 p; im C Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERASEB HOLDER FOR TYPEWRITERS Charles G. Hurrle, San Francisco, Calif.

Application May 17, 1937, Serial No. 142,971

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to eraser holders for typewriters, and has for its principal object the provision of means for holding an eraser in such a position that it is conveniently available for instant use.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically returning the eraser to its normal position. Still further objects are to conceal the holding and returning means, and to so position the eraser as to keep it out of the way of the normal operation of the machine without impairing its accessibility.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which should be read with the understanding that changes, within the scope of the claims hereto appended, may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts herein shown and described.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which shows by way of example three different positions in which the eraser may be held, and in which- Fig. l is a perspective view of a typewriter showing the eraser mounted in the frame or housing thereof.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional view of the platen asembly showing the eraser held in the knob thereof and the automatic return means positioned within the platen itself.

Fig. 3 is a part sectional view of a portion of the platen assembly showing the eraser and its return means positioned within the knob.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2 and enlarged, showing a typical construction of the automatic return means.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates the frame or housing of a typewriter. 6 is the platen roller, 1 and 8 are supporting shafts projecting from the ends of said platen, and 9 and ID are the knobs secured upon said shafts by which the platen is turned. These parts are present in all typewriters, the roller, shafts and knobs constituting the platen assembly.

In the preferred form of my invention, as shown in Figs. 2 and l, I provide a chamber ll within the platen roller at one end thereof, and in said chamber I mount a spring reel l2, upon which is wound a flexible connecting member in the form of a cord or chain l3. Said cord is led out through an axial bore I4 through the stub shaft 8 and knob l0, and its end is fastened to an eraser I5, preferably of disk form.

The reel I2 is rotatably carried upon a spindle l6 secured to a fixed bracket ll. Within said reel is a spiral spring l8 having one end secured by an anchor pin l9 to the bracket I1, and its other end secured to the reel at 2B. The spring is so mounted, and the cord I3 is so wound upon the reel, that said spring is tightened by unwinding the cord, and therefore re-winds said cord upon the reel when its outer end is released.

The eraser is thus held flat against the outer end face of the knob l0, where it is convenient to the hand. It can be pulled out for use, the cord being long enough to reach to the far end of the platen, and when released will be automatically returned to its position. The end of the knob may be provided with a recess 2| within which the eraser is seated, to keep it out of the way when the knob is grasped to turn the platen. A loop or other grasping means 22 may be provided to enable the recessed eraser to be easily drawn out.

The specific construction of the platen is different in different machines. In that shown herein by way of example, the roller has a wooden core 23, which has been cut away at one end and replaced by a hollow metal cylinder 24 forming the reel housing. The shaft 1 is secured to the base of said housing, and its outer end is closed by a removable plug 25 which carries the stub shaft 8. The reel bracket I! is also secured to the plug 25, as shown at 26 in Fig. 4, so that the reel may be easily removed, for repair or replacement, merely by removing the plug.

In its broadest aspect, the invention contemplates the mounting of the spring reel described above in any concealed position upon the machine, as for example within the frame 5 so that the eraser l5 will be held in some convenient position against the outside of said frame, as indicated in Fig. 1. The reel used to hold the eraser in this position is identical in construction to that described above, and is therefore not shown in Fig. 1. The eraser l5 lies against the front of the typewriter frame instead of against the platen knob, and is pulled out for use and automatically returned in the same manner as hereinbefore described.

A modified mounting of the spring reel is shown in Fig. 3, wherein the knob I0 is hollow, providing a chamber within which the reel I2 is mounted. A removable plug 26 closes the end of the knob, and has an inwardly projecting flange 27 upon which the spindle 28 of the reel is mounted. The reel itself is the same as that described above. The cord l3 passes out through a hole in the plug 28, and holds the eraser l5 againstthe outer face of said plug, as shown.

The eraser thus has the same position as in able reel mounted in said chamber, a flexible Fig. 4, the only difference being that the spring reel is concealed in the knob instead of in the platen.

I claim:

1. In a typewriter having a platen assembly including a roller and a knob for rotating said roller, said assembly'having a concealed interior chamber, and a passage extending therefrom to the outer end face of said knob, a rotatable reel mounted in said chamber, a flexible connecting member wound upon said reel and extending through said passage, an eraser connected with the exterior end of said flexible member, a spring connected with said reel, said spring being tightened by the unwinding of said flexible member and acting to re-wind the same upon said reel, the eraser being yieldably held by said flexible member and said spring in an accessible position adjacent the end face of said knob.

2. In a typewriter having a platen assembly including a roller and a knob for rotating said roller, said assembly having a concealed interior chamber, and a passage extending therefrom to the outer end face of said knob, said end face being recessed, a rotatable reel mounted in said chamber, a flexible connecting member wound upon said reel and extending through said passage, an eraser connected with the exterior end of said flexible member, a spring connected with said reel, said spring being tightened by the unwinding of said flexible member and acting to re-wind the same upon said reel, the eraser 7 being yieldably held by said flexible member and said spring in an accessible position within the recess of the end face of said knob.

3. In a typewriter having a platen roller and a knob for turning the same, said roller having an interior chamber and a passage extending therefrom to the face of said knob, a rotatable reel mounted in said chamber, a flexible connecting member wound upon said reel and extending out through said passage, an eraser connected with the exterior end of said flexible member, a spring connected with said reel, said spring being tightened by the unwinding of said flexible member and acting to re-wind the same upon said reel, the eraser being yieldably held by said flexible member and said spring in an accessible position adjacent the end face of said knob.

4. In a typewriter having a platen roller provided with an interior chamber near one end,

a removable end member for said roller, a stub shaft carried by said end member for supporting the roller, a knob on said shaft, said shaft and saidknob having a passage extending from said chamber to the end face of said knob, a rotatconnecting member wound upon said reel and extending out through said passage, an eraser connected with the exterior end of said flexible member, a spring connected with said reel, said spring being tightened by the unwinding of said flexible member and acting to re-wind the same upon said reel, the eraser being yieldably held by said flexible member and said spring in an accessible position adjacent the end face of said knob.

5. In a typewriter having a platen roller and a knob for turning the same, said knob having an interior chamber and a passage leading therefrom to the outer end face of said knob, a rotatable reel mounted in said chamber, a flexible connecting member woundupon said reel and extending out through said passage, an eraser connected with the exterior end of said flexible member, a spring connected with said reel, said spring being tightened by the unwinding of said flexible member and acting to re-wind the same upon said reel, the eraser being yieldably held,

by said flexible member and said spring in an accessible position adjacent the end face of said.

knob.

6. In a typewriter having a platen roller, a.

supporting shaft projecting from the end thereof, a hollow knob secured upon said shaft, the exterior of said knob forming a hand grip for the'purpose of turning said platen and the interior of said knob forming a concealed chamber having an aperture leading to the outside, a rotatable reel mounted within said chamber, a flexible connecting member wound upon said reel and extending through said aperture, an eraser connected with the free end of said flexible memher, and a spring connected with said reel, said spring being tightened by the unwinding of said flexible member and acting to rewind the same upon said reel, the eraser being yieldably held.

by said flexible member and said spring in an accessible position exterior to said knob.

7. In a typewriter provided with a platen roller having a concealed chamber therein, a hollow supporting shaft projecting from the end of said platen, said shaft having an aperture therethrough communicating with said chamber, a rotatable reel mounted within said chamber, a

flexible connecting member wound upon said reel and extending through said aperture, an eraser connected with the free end of said flexible member, and a spring connected with said reel, said spring being tightened by the unwinding of said flexible member and acting to rewind the same upon said reel.

CHARLES G. I-IURRLE. 

